M*A*S*H, Season 6, Highlights

In the sixth season (1977-78) of what many consider to be one of, if not the greatest, TV show ever, there are many changes in the lives of 4077th personnel as well the make-up of the staff itself. For instance, Maj. Margaret "Hot Lips" Houlihan (Loretta Swit) is now an unhappily married woman, and her ex-lover, Maj. Frank Burns (Larry Linville), has been shipped stateside and replaced by the larger-than-life-- both in terms of personality and stature-- Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III (David Ogden Stiers). As a result of these changes, M*A*S*H, Season 6, has many highlights and great episodes. Here are just a few:


Disc 1:


"Fade Out, Fade In (9/20/77)"-- In this very funny season premier, Frank Burns has finally lost it and is shipped stateside after reportedly harassing every woman he comes into contact with and calling her "Margaret." Ferret Face's replacement, wealthy Boston Brahmin Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III (la-di-da!), currently employed at Tokyo General Hospital, is a totally different character, to say the least.


"Fallen Idol (9/27/77)"-- In this episode, Corp. Walter "Radar" O'Reilly (Gary Burghoff) is wounded by mortar fire en route to Seoul in order to "y'know" at the Pink Pagoda after Capt. Hawkeye Pierce (Alan Alda) urges him to do so. Overcome with massive guilt, Hawkeye gets wasted and has to leave the OR to throw up during a surgery. This upsets Radar, who idolizes Hawk. In the recovery room, Hawkeye ridicules Radar's "Iowa naivete" and, according to Col. Sherman Potter (Harry Morgan), utters his 'most bellicose barrelfull of bull durham ever' to Radar. As for humor, Winchester tosses some of his zingiest remarks ever Hawk's way. (The dialogue in this episode is particularly stellar.) One of the best, most memorable M*A*S*H eps.


"Last Laugh (10/4/77)"-- An old friend and fellow service member of Capt. B.J. Hunnicutt's (Mike Farrell)-- who happens to be a notorious practical joker-- visits the 4077th. He also reports B.J. as an imposter to the Provost Marshall's office. When B.J. is arrested by MPs on charges of willful disorderly conduct while allegedly staying at the same hotel as a general, Hawkeye and the gang stand up for B.J. Viewers see just how deep Hawkeye and B.J.'s friendship really is. Of course, the charges are ultimately proven false.


"The Winchester Tapes (10/18/77)"-- Charles tries to get his influential family back home in Massachusetts to pull strings to get him out of the Army. He does so through a series of tape-recorded letters. Winchester, who, IMHO, had some of the best lines in the entire series, delivers a classic here: "Mother and Father, I will try to put this as eloquently and succinctly as possible: Get me the Hell out of here!"


"The Light That Light Failed (10/25/77)"-- The 4077th has run out of lightbulbs, so B.J. passes around copies of his most recent murder mystery to his comrades to read by candlelight in order to pass the time. In a related subplot, Charles makes a pretty serious surgical mistake in a dimly lit OR.

"In Love and War (11/1/77)"-- A wealthy Korean woman interrupts a surgery Hawkeye is performing and asks Col. Potter to send Dr. Pierce to help her dying mother. Hawk is initially resentful of the woman, but he later finds out that she is selflessly helping war widows and orphans. The two eventually become friends and begin to actually fall in love with one another. Unfortunately, Hawk's would-be girlfriend decides to move after her mother passes away. This is one of the sweetest episodes of any show I have ever seen.


Disc 2:


"The MASH Olympics (11/22/77)"-- Taking a cue from the 1952 Olympic Games being held in Helsinki, Finland, Col. Potter decides to teach his troops some discipline vis-a-vis their own "olympics." Here, we get to see newlyweds Margaret Houlihan and Lt. Col. Donald Penobscot together as a married couple for the first time since the Season 5 finale ("Margaret's Marriage"). The cracks in the couple's relationship are clearly beginning to show.


"The Grim Reaper (11/29/77)"-- Hawkeye deals with bloodthirsty Col. Victor Bloodworth-- who views casualties of war as simply numbers-- as only Hawkeye can. It is around this point that the series began to morph from slapstick comedy into anti-war dramedy. Many fans don't like later seasons for this reason, but this is exactly why I prefer them.


"Comrades in Arms, Part 1 (12/6/77)"-- In the first half of this two-parter, Hawkeye and Margaret travel to the 8063rd MASH unit during a bug out. They quickly find themselves behind enemy lines and in serious danger.


"Comrades in Arms, Part 2 (12/13/77)"-- After taking refuge in an abandoned hut, Hawk and Hot Lips begin to share the intimate details of their lives with each other, particularly Margaret's increasingly troubled marriage. They also share a few rather passionate kisses. As I was watching this, I was rooting for the two to finally admit their feelings for one another and possibly even get together. This is not to be, for by the end of Part 2, Pierce and Houlihan (who are eventually rescued by B.J. and a helicopter pilot) are at each other's throats. I suppose the writers felt it necessary to maintain viewer interest by way of palpable but ultimately unrequited sexual tension between doctor and nurse.


Disc 3:

"Tea and Empathy (1/17/78)"-- Father Mulcahy (William Christopher) faces a spiritual dilemma after recalling the confession of a corporal who has been smuggling stolen-- albeit desperately needed-- medical supplies into the 4077th. A decent and important episode for Mulcahy, up until this point a relatively minor character.

"Mail Call Three (2/6/78)"-- After weeks of no mail delivery, 4077th personnel finally receive five bags of mostly good news (save for a letter from Hot Lips' mother-in-law, one from Iowa about Radar's mother's boyfriend, a letter B.J. receives from wife Peg, and one from Cpl. Maxwell Q. Klinger's (Jamie Farr) wife, Laverne, in Toledo, Ohio, requesting a divorce), including love letters addressed to one Benjamin Pierce, but not the Benjamin Pierce. Hawkeye characteristically reads the letters anyway.

"Dr. Winchester and Mr. Hyde (2/27/78)"-- Charles' personality begins changing suddenly, and his fellow surgeons are baffled as to what is going on with him. Then they discover that Winchester's mania is the result of amphetamine usage. This is the very first ep to showcase Charles' pompousness, elitism, and perfectionism.

"Major Topper (3/27/78)"-- Following Col. Potter's homespun anecdote about how his aunt was cured of an ailment by a placebo, or "sugar pill," the doctors decide to try to convince patients that they are taking morphine after they've actually been given sugar pills. A negative side effect of this plan is that one Cpl. Boots Miller starts trying to shoot down imaginary enemy airplanes. Along with the season premier, this is one of two fan-favorite eps in this collection.